Teeeitoby



W. W. BELL.

HAME FASTENEB.

(Model.)

No. 259,283. Patented June 13,1882.

a K i N. PETERS. Pmwumu m m. Washinglu UNITED STATES WILLIAM W. BELL, OFVALLEY SPRINGS, DAKOTA TERRITORY.

HAM E-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,283, dated June 13,1882.

Application filed January 17, 1882. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WATROUS BELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Valley Springs, in the county of Minnehaha andTerritory of Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Hame-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to harness-hames; and it consists in theconstructionhereinafter particularly described, and then defined by theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view, showing thefastener open, and Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing it closed. Fig. 3is a perspective view of one side of the casing and spring-dog detached.Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the lower hooked bar detached. Fig. 5 isa sectional side view of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a plan view, and Fig. 7 is anend view, of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a cross-section on the line 00 m of Fig.5. Fig. 9 is a sectional view of one end of the fastener, showing avariation in the method of constructing it.

A A are two plates or side pieces, one havin g a block, I), cast upon itnear one end, and with a pin, 0, projecting therefrom to form-a rivet tosecure theother plate to it, and with a bolt or rivet, d, through theother ends. By this means the two plates are connected together, butwith a space between them, as shown in Figs. 3, 6, 7, and 8.

B is a bar or arm secured by one end (with the pivot d) between theplates A A and with a hook, 0, upon the other end, and adapted to beclosed down between the plates A A with its upper surface flush with theupper edges of said sides, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Projecting downfrom the lower part of the bar B, near the hook e, is a lug,-g, havingan inwardly-turning toe, 9 adapted to catch beneath the head of aspring-dog, h, and thus hold the bar B in place, as shown in Figs. 2,5,and 9. The ends of the dog h project through slots in the sides A A andare provided with buttons h on the outside, by which the spring-dog maybe moved backward and disconnected from the catch 9. A third button, [2.may be employed upon the bottom of the casing, so that the spring-dogmay be operated from the bottom as well as the sides, and all three maybe used together or separately. Formed in the inner surfaces of thesides A A are slots or grooves i, in the bottoms of which notches 2' areformed at regular intervals, as shown.

C is a bar similar to the bar B, and with a hook, 6 in one end, and withpins m on the sides of the other end, adapted to fit into any oppositepair of the notches t and arranged to fold upward between the sides A Aas shown in Figs. 2 and 9.

D is a spring secured at n in the sides A A and running along betweenthe bars B and U, and adapted to press upon the inner end of the bar 0to hold the pins min the notches 6 By this means the pins m are held inthe notches t with sufficient force to prevent accidental disengagement;but at the same time by forcing the bar 0 backward the spring may becompressed and thepins m removed from one notch and set into another toalter the distance between the hooks e 0 as hereinafter shown.

In operating the device the spring-dog h is disconnected from the toe gand the three parts-via, the casing A A and bars B O- spread apart, asshown in Fig. 1. The bar 0 is then set by the pins on in any pair of thenotches i it is desired to place it to adapt the fastener to the sizedcollar to which the hames are to be secured. The hooks e 0 are thenhooked into the loops E E of the hames F F which brings the uppersurface of the bar B in contact with the lower end of the horses collar,and with the heme F in about its proper position upon the side of thecollar. The casing A A then acts as a lever of the second order, thepivot d being the rest or fulcrum, so that by forcing the casing A Aupward over the bar B until the toe snaps under the springdog h the bar0 will also be drawn up between the sides, as shown in Fig. 2, and drawthe hame F into its proper position. Then when it is desired to releasethe hames again the buttons or thu mb-plates k are pushed backward torelease the spring-dog h, when the hames may be easily spread apartagain.

The ends of the casing A A next the hooke will be so formed as to closethe hook 0 when the bar B is shut down into it, so that the loop Ecannot be released therefrom when the easing is closed upon the bar. Bythis means, when the hames have been removed from the horse it is only.necessary to snap the casing up ener to the hames and prevent itsbecoming lost or mislaid.

Projecting ribs G G will be formed upon the sides A A to increase thewidth of the top of the fastener, so that less wear will occur upon thecollar, and also for the purpose of covering the slots 2'.

The lower ends of the notches i are inclined backward or away from thespring-dog h to enable the pins on on the bar 0 to engage more firmlytherewith. The notches '5 enable me to adjust the fastener todifi'erent-sized collars, so that one fastener may be used for any sizedharness, and the notches may be made of any size or distance apart.

In Fig. 9 I show an arrangement whereby the spring D may be dispensedwith, consisting of a small lug or projection, H, extending backward andupward from the end of the bar (1, and adapted to rest in contact withthe bar B when the fastener is closed up to hold the pivots or pins mdown into the notches.

I do not wish to confine myself to the specific method shown forfastening the sides A A together, as I am aware that it can be done inmany ways.

A small lip or plate will be cast upon the side A to project over thespring-dog to cover it and protect it from injury.

The spring-dogconsists, as shown, ofa shank or stem, one end runningthrough the connecting-block b, and with a cross-head upon the otherend, with its arms passing out through slots in the sides A A and towhich the buttons h are attached, as before stated. A spring, h, iscoiled around the stem or shank, between the block b and the cross-head,to hold the dog in contact with the toe 9 the block I) thus servingthetriple purpose of a means for connecting the sides A A together, aguide for the shank of the dog, and a stop for the coiled When the thirdbutton, h is used a small arm will be cast upon the lower side of theshank to support it, as shown.

Any other suitable locking device may be substituted for the dog h, ifdesired.

WVha-t I claim as new is-- 1. The side plates, A A each having formedtherein a longitudinal groove, 1', and notches F, in combination with abar, G, having a hook, 6 at one end, and pins at extending from both itssides near the other end and fitted between the plates, whereby theparts are adapted to operate, as set forth.

2.The casingAA ,havingslotsiand notches i and provided with ribs G G incombination with bar 0,- provided with hook c and pins m, connected toplates A A as set forth, for the purposes specified.

3. The combination of easing A A having slots '5 and notches i bar B,provided with hook e and catch g 9 bar (J, provided with hook e and pinsm, spring D, and spring-dog h M, the several parts being arranged tooperate as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM WATROUS BELL.

Witnesses (l. N. W OODWARD, E. RIoE, Jr.

